Fund Established to Aid Leiby Kletzky's Family

Loss of income, burial, therapy, etc.

With all the heartache this family has had to endure, I would not think it so terrible to help give them a little menuchas hanefesh, even if the money were collected to help ensure the financial future of their other children, (ad meah v’esrim shana). Although it is true that there are many competent therapists who accept insurance, there are issues with caps on therapy sessions allowed per year (and then the therapist has to begin explaining and requesting overrides on those caps) aside from the fact that the therapists who may be most skillful or trained in grief counseling and post traumatic stress disorder could likely not take insurance. Should we deny these people this option/need? Moreover, even if this family has a source of income in general, there may never be a more prudent time for them to stay home and work together on getting through this, r”l.

As a close friend of the family i know firsthand that every penny donated will be put to good use.I have lost someone close to me and i know the family is and will be experiencing unbelievable anguish and grief. If we can alleviate some of their financial struggle, it will not take away their pain but will make it a bit easier to bear. They live in a very tiny cramped apartment, and although they never complain, I am sure this is difficult especially under the circumstances. Aside from therapy, missed work, kvura,matzeiva shloshim seuda, etc… I feel that after such a horrifying trauma…so while this shouldn’t be looked upon as using the situation, anyone who wants to do something to help, one very practical way is financially. May Hashem bless you with only Simchos and may it be a Zchus for Leiby’s Neshama

mommamia22: Who was denying anyone anything? I was asking a simple question. In fact I donated.

I apologize if I offended you, Itchesrulik. Your question is a legitimate one, and I do not take it to mean that you will/did not donate. I think the discussion of costly private therapy bears elaboration regarding the reasons it might be needed as an option, for those who might wonder, when donating.

Fair enough. Sorry I jumped on you like that.

It is most likely that there will be professionals offering their services free of charge to help this family, at least I hope they do. There certainly are enough Frum therapists to assist here. And I am also sure that any money donated to help this family will be appreciated and put to good use. Obviously it won’t be easy for Mr. Keltzky to get back to work in full swing after such a terrible loss especially if he finds out the details of his loss. It is not easy to get behind the wheel of a vehicle when you are in such emotional pain. In addition it might be necessary for them to move depending on how they handle living in their apartment without Leiby. There are a lot of things that are up in the air and will have to be addressed, so having some financial support from the community will certainly be helpful and will relieve some of the stress that will be normal in this situation.

Can the check be dropped off at the Rov’s shul?

Just an update: I was by the shiva house when a woman who did not know the family came to sit near Mrs. Kletzky. she appeared to be a “traditional” jew. She wrote a three page letter expressing her feelings about the tragedy and how it affected her. She said :”I hope you don’t mind, but I included a check. i want you to use it for whatever would have made Leiby happy”. All who were there were moved by her kindness. I also heard that Mayor Bloomberg left a check when he came to be menachem aval. Everyone who is moved to donate should know that it is so very appreciated and will IY”H enable the family to deal with their grief more easily

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/deeply-troubled-by-horrific-events-our-response#post-273924

FYI read all the Q&A Especially this

Question: I saw that other organizations using Leiby’s name. Are they affiliated with this Fund?

Answer: A number of well-meaning organizations are soliciting funds for projects using Leiby Kletzky’s name. The Leiby Kletzky Memorial Fund is the only effort authorized by the family

Consult a competent Rav for advice on priorities

up over 7K raised already…and I think it just started today

It’s hard to say why they got and you didn’t when we don’t know what you went through. Maybe it’s a matter of “marketing”, so to speak. Their tragedy was so jarring and unexpected and I think the community connected to it in the sense that anyone with children, neices, nephews, grandchildren, was shocked into understanding how vulnerable all of our children are. So, donating is a way to help the family and give zchuyos to Leiby a’h when we were unable to help before, prompted by perhaps an unfulfilled wish to have succeeded in helping as well as being moved by all of our own fears and concerns for the safety of our loved ones. I don’t know how to ask this without putting you on the spot, but are you angry because you still need help? Maybe we can pool our resources of contacts to try to connect you to those who can give you the extra help at this time.

MP Did you see the website? This fund is not for the Kletzky family. It is by the Kletzky family for familiies in distress. If there is gap in our Chesed network as you feel then maybe this will fill it somewhat

MP – Thank you for your words. Though B”H I have never been faced with any challenge r”l as serious as the likes of neither the current one nor probably the one you describe as having experienced, I too have recently thought about the point you make. Without AT ALL taking away from overwhelmingly positive reaction and tremendous outpouring of good deeds we have seen in the past week (the responses alone continue to be truly inspiring), it does seem that this tragedy is perhaps receiving disproportional and greater attention/support than others have or do receive. That notwithstanding, I have a theory as to why this may be so and additionally it seems there may be a positive result from all this attention that will come to address your precise issue.

While I do NOT ch”vsh contemplate comparing/contrasting calamities r”l, I believe that in addition to some of the points made above there are some unique factors of this recent tragedy (hal’vai it should be the last) to which so much of the attention is owed. In my opinion, it is the combination of these aspects that makes this different than anything else we have ever seen before, at least in recent times.

First, as was already mentioned above, the focus of the tragedy was a child. While a tragedy that involves any person or persons is a tragedy, there is something about one that effects an innocent child that seems to pull harder at our heartstrings. While most victims are innocent by definition, the innocence of a child seems to supersede all innocence. Perhaps this is because a child is arguably the embodiment and epitome of innocence itself. Whatever the exact reason, it seems that this thinking/feeling leads to the following equation: the “more” the innocent is, the more sympathy people feel and show. (L’havdil, I believe this particular factor, to a large extent, explains the nationwide and even worldwide attention to — and even obsession with — the recent Casey Anthony case.)

Second, the sheer brutality involved in the event made it simply impossible for anyone to ignore. I think it is neither necessary nor appropriate to elaborate on this point.

Finally, and perhaps both the worst aspect of this tragedy and the greatest reason that this tragedy hit home as deeply as it has for so many, is the fact that it came from “within”, i.e., the perpetrator being a so-called Orthodox Jew. Not only did this contribute to the “shock factor” (a point referenced earlier as well) of the whole event, but I believe it is sending the message to so many of us to stop and look ourselves in the mirror; and as we do, we are reacting in large numbers, too.

Of course, the above is just one personal theory and opinion and, even if true, does not justify the lack of or less attention/reaction given to other tragic events, r”l. However, I will conclude by adding that it seems the fund being set up currently in response to this recent tragedy is being designed to address other tragic and needy situations (may there be no more of them), and so, perhaps specifically the concern of unbalanced attention for different calamities will be duly addressed and “reconciled”, as it were, through all of the extraordinary efforts being displayed during this unusually trying, though also uplifting, time.

Sorry about Middlepath and his/her story. What is important in this story is the Achdus, unity to which alot of credit must be give to Rav Eisenberger,who is a Rav par excellence. Sorry, but halvei all kehillos would have a Rav as him. Rav Eisenberger is available for his kehilla 24/7 and is involved in every aspect one can think of and not as in this tragedy. And this holy neshama that was so plucked away from us was also such a giving person. An aquaintance of mine lives in the same building. Her mother’s nurses commented that when they got to the building in the morning or evening, if Leiby Z”L was outside, he would run to open the door for them. One of these nurses was in tears and crying ,”oh no, it can’t be my little boy”. Let us do and think only good in his memory. FARGIN!